Husband stands trial for South African honeymoon murder of wife

The British businessman accused of plotting the murder of his wife has pleaded not guilty in court this morning.

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by Ellie Hooper |
Published on

Shrien Dewani, 34, has waited four years to stand trial for his alleged part in his wife’s death, after she was shot dead on their honeymoon in 2010.

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Anni Dewani

The couple had been married for a matter of weeks when they were held at gunpoint as they drove through a township near Cape Town, South Africa.

Mr Dewani was thrown from the vehicle, while the body of Anni Dewani, 28, was found the following day with a single shot wound to the neck.

A memorial service for Anni the year after she died

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Shrien maintains that he and his new wife were carjacked while taking in the sights of Cape Town, but three local men allege that Shrien paid them to kill Anni.

The driver of the taxi, Zola Tongo, will appear as a witness, where he is expected to reiterate his line that Dewani paid him £850 to help arrange the death of his wife.

Tongo, along with two others, Mngeni and Qwabe are currently serving lengthy sentences for their part in Anni’s murder - though Tongo’s time has been reduced for testifying against the businessman.

Shrien returned to the UK in the wake of his wife’s murder, but was later arrested and has been in custody since December 2010. Six months ago, South African officials finally managed to extradite him so he could stand trial.

Anni's parents have spoken of their devastation

On Sunday night, Anni’s devastated family said they want ‘the full story and justice’ for their little girl.

‘It’s now up to the South African justice system to obtain the full story of how my little daughter died,’ her father told reporters.

‘Tell us what happened in court so that we can go on with our lives…we need to get the truth so we can go on with our lives.’

Shrien and Anni on their wedding day

In a bizarre twist, it was also revealed that Shrien Dewani allegedly paid a male prostitute to abuse him - in a series of encounters just months before he married Anni.

During these he allegedly told the man that he had though of calling the wedding off, but didn't want to bring shame on his family.

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